Dáil debates

Tuesday, 6 July 2010

Priority Questions

Passport Applications

3:00 am

Photo of Pat BreenPat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 29: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps he will take to clear the backlog of applications for passports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30198/10]

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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On 2 July, 59,452 applications were in the system, representing a reduction of more than 8,500 applications in the backlog since the middle of June. I am conscious that the level of passport applications in the system remains excessively high. However, one contributory factor is the exceptional demand for passports this year. To date, passport demand is running at 13.8% higher than this time in 2009.

Passport service staff continue to work overtime to assist in keeping the number of applications in the system to a minimum. Recently, 50 additional temporary staff commenced work in the service and are working with permanent staff members to clear the backlog. These measures alone have allowed for more than 68,000 additional passport applications to be examined over and above those considered during normal hours. I am also prepared to recruit additional temporary staff if necessary.

I fully accept that the current service is less than satisfactory and is not of the standard that the public has been used to and is entitled to expect. However, the effects of the prolonged period of industrial action and the increased demand have made it difficult to return immediately to the excellent service normally offered by the passport service. However progress is being made. The service has re-introduced a guaranteed turnaround time for passport applications. Applications submitted via the passport express service - Swiftpost in the Republic and NIPX in the North - available through local post offices are now guaranteed to be processed within 20 working days. This guarantee will be kept under review and it is intended that time required will reduce over the coming weeks. The new guarantee turnaround time will help re-establish trust in the operation of the service.

A new service to prioritise applications for those with immediate travel plans has also been introduced. Applications with proof of travel are guaranteed to be processed within three working days. Applicants should make contact with the passport service and provide this proof where applicable. An additional fee may apply in respect of such new and urgent applications, as was the case before the dispute. This is the fastest turnaround time for all applications except for those whose travel is required for urgent humanitarian reasons. While clearing the backlog will take some time, every effort is being made to minimise the inconvenience to the travelling public.

Photo of Pat BreenPat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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The Minister mentioned an increase of 13.8% in the number of passport applications being processed this year. However, it is highly unlikely that the increase is due to people going on holiday. Rather, it is down to people emigrating because Government policies have left them with no hope.

I have a number of concerns. For example, that it still takes 15-20 working days to process a passport application is not good enough. I welcome the important agreement between the Government and the public service, as the situation was frustrating for those seeking passports. We all remember the queues earlier this year. As someone who attends the Passport Office on a weekly basis, that applicants must still spend hours queuing is frustrating. It is also frustrating for the staff. Every time I have been in the office, I have seen an argument because of people's frustrations. This problem must be eliminated.

What options is the Minister considering to speed up the process? Doing so would be important. Has the Minister taken on temporary seasonal staff and how many are there? We are in the height of the season for people seeking passports.

In a parliamentary question some time ago, I asked the Minister whether he had progressed his proposal to establish an additional passport office outside Dublin. Speaking as someone who deals with the offices in Cork and Dublin, the former seems to be running more efficiently. I do not know whether this is because the Minister is from Cork.

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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It is down to DNA.

Photo of Pat BreenPat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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The Dublin area contains a larger population. The Minister stated that he would examine the option of providing another passport-----

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The Deputy has asked a number of questions and we are running out of time.

Photo of Pat BreenPat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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I really only asked two questions.

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I will call the Deputy again.

Photo of Pat BreenPat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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I would like to elaborate on my last question, as it needs more time.

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The Deputy is entitled to one minute for a supplementary question, but he has had two and a half minutes.

Photo of Pat BreenPat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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My supplementary question will be on the additional staff.

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Many of the Deputy's questions were answered by my original reply. We have recruited the additional 50 staff. The passport service receives approximately 2,900 applications per day. However, I stated that passport demand is running at 13.8% higher than it was at this time in 2009. The main reason for this is the publicity around the delay owing to industrial action. Many people decided to get their applications in for fear of the length of time the process would take. That is the logic.

Photo of Pat BreenPat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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They see no hope.

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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In view of the back-logs being dealt with, I expect things to return to more normal patterns in due course. The advent of overtime and the recruitment of additional temporary staff has had a positive impact because the number of passports being issued per day now is in the region of 3,200, which is considerable.

The Deputy made reference to people queuing up and so on. We are saying, unequivocally, that the recommended method for submitting passport applications is via the passport express service, or the Northern Ireland passport express service, available through the local post office. We would recommend to people generally that this is the best and optimum methodology. Public counter or the wire services should only be used by those who have a necessity to travel for reasons of family emergency. All other applications should be submitted via passport express channels.

Photo of Pat BreenPat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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I have two brief questions. What progression has the Minister made in regard to the provision of an additional passport office? Being parochial, I should like to see a passport office being set up in the mid-west region, building on the success of the Cork passport office, particularly given the fact that the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food office in Ennis is closed, and staff have not been reassigned to other duties. The Government owns the building in Ennis, so perhaps I can lobby the Minister in that regard this afternoon, given the success of the Cork initiative.

When does the Minister expect the passport processing service for Oireachtas Members to resume, whereby they could leave passports here in the Dáil and they would be collected the following week?

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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In terms of the extension of the service this is subject to capital funding, and funding generally but I indicated on the last occasion that priority would be given to the north west because of the Northern Ireland demand and so on. I do not envisage anything beyond that in the medium term. Prior to the difficulties we have had, the passport service was working very well, the turnaround time was exceptionally good and customers were well served. I am confident we shall return to that.

In terms of the facility that was available for Members of the Oireachtas, as soon as things return to a more normal pattern I envisage that service returning as well. Members have been accommodated as much as humanly possible in emergency cases that they have brought to the attention of the passport office. As I said in my original reply, the prioritisation of those who have immediate emergencies will be accommodated within a three-day period. That again will meet many of the concerns and issues that Deputies have.

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Question No. 30 is in the name of Deputy Breen.

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Questions Nos. 27 and 30 were taken together.

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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We were not advised of that. We shall take the answer to Question No. 27, then, as given.

Photo of Pat BreenPat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Can I ask a few questions, as regards Question No. 30?

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Yes.

Photo of Pat BreenPat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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The Minister in his reply to Question No. 27 said how serious the fraudulent use of an Irish passport was. It is a very serious matter and it came to light last February and again recently with the name of the famous Richard Murphy. In light of the previous case in Dubai, the Minister called in the Israeli Ambassador for questioning, as regards what happened there, as he was justified in doing. The Minister spoke with Foreign Minister Lieberman at one of the Council Meetings in Brussels in regard to this.

Now there is another serious situation, where an Irish passport was issued in the name of a Donegal citizen and picked up in Rome which was allegedly used by Russian spies. Has the Minister made any contact with the Russian ambassador here in Dublin in relation to this incident, and if not, does he propose to do so? Will he say whether the Irish ambassador in Russia has made similar contacts with his counterparts there as well?

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Garda and the passport service are investigating the allegations that were raised in a US court. What we have is an allegation and we have to establish the veracity of that assertion. We are not at that stage yet. We have not had access to much of the material because obviously it may be used in the court case. This will involve liaising with the US authorities, and following up with any citizen whose passport details might have been misused. Again, we shall look at the travel histories of any such persons and I shall report to the House when these investigations have been completed.

I will come back to the House in regard to those matters. My position in regard to the fraudulent use of Irish passports is well known, and has been articulated on the floor of this House. The Deputy can take it that we take any misuse of an Irish passport very seriously, indeed, and will act appropriately.

Photo of Pat BreenPat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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The fact is an Irish passport was allegedly used in a given situation, and this has more or less been confirmed by the authorities. I ask the Minister to talk to his Russian counterpart because Ireland does not want to be seen as a soft tough on the international scene. Here we have Israel and Russia, two so-called superpowers allegedly using Irish passports for fraudulent purposes. That is a very serious situation, as the Minister has acknowledged. The fact that these passports were used puts the safety of Irish citizens at risk. How come it was not a case of passports from any of the Eastern Bloc countries, but rather Ireland? I ask the Minister to call in and talk to the Russian ambassador about the situation. I understand he has to find out the facts, but he must emphasise to the Russian ambassador how serious is the situation.

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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In terms of the flow of information, in the Dubai case when our ambassador went to the Dubai authorities, significant details were provided in terms of numbers and so on. Before one sees anybody one needs to establish the veracity of the assertion being made. We must also be mindful that in the US jurisdiction, as we speak, a court case is ongoing, and we have to be very careful.

Photo of Pat BreenPat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Why cannot the Minister act in regard to the Russian Foreign Minister?

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Equally, there is a report that a British passport was used but I do not know whether that is the case.